From The Middle Seat
by YoureMyFavoritex
Summary: Maybe if he hadn't been so quick to say yes, he wouldn't be stuck in this car on the world's longest road trip. Nick-centric, hints of KevinMacy and JoeStella. JONAS.


**This is ridiculously short to be a oneshot. I'm very sorry. However, I really like how it came out. So I hope you do to! The idea came to me while reading FF this morning... haha I have no idea which story it was, but Nick was in the car at one point with the entire group and I thought a peek into his mind could be hysterical in that situation. Therefore, this came out of it. haha. I tried to keep his sarcasm, so all the parenthesis as pretty much all him. I hope you enjoy!**

**Dedicated to Cayce (cause you were having a bad day Monday, and I love you and want you to feel happy :) ), Emilie (cause you were really sick, and need to feel better, and happy too) and Deni (simply because I know you just ADORE Jella... ;) haha). I'm so sorry that I'm dedicating you such a shorty. More will come, DACE, I promise.  
**

**Disclaimer: in terms of ownership, Disney is a win, and I am a fail.  
**

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Nicholas Lucas shifted awkwardly against the leather seat, the sliver of his back between the hem of his tshirt and the waistline of his jeans sticking uncomfortably against the back of the car seat. His eyes narrowed in on the digital clock on the dashboard, the bright angular numbers seeming to laugh at his obvious annoyance. He had only been in the car for a good thirty minutes, and he was already done with this road trip. When Stella had introduced him to the idea of a week in Florida with his brothers and her best friend, his mind had immediately flooded with images of gorgeous beaches, gorgeous girls, and most importantly, _gorgeous comfortable plane rides_. These images must have clouded his mind when he agreed without question. A few days later the true nature of the week was revealed. Despite Nick's pleading, Stella insisted that they drive down like normal teenagers, teenagers who don't have a private jet at their disposal.

Nick shook his head, frustration advancing. He could kick himself for pinky promising Stella that he would go on this trip without knowing all the details. Pinky promising with anyone else never held any ground, but there were two people that Nick (usually) always avoided linking pinkies with. Frankie's little finger had been avoided for the past four years, ever since the playground incident, but somehow Nick had completely spaced on Stella's intenseness involved with the childish tradition when his pinky crossed hers three weeks prior.

Now, somewhere in the middle of Maryland (or were they already in Virginia?), Nick was regretting his promise. Every excuse he had thrown at the blonde had been twisted right back in his face, Stella disproving each JONAS and school plan he had used to try and slip out of the road trip. His parents were all for this trip, so happy that their sons were going to be experiencing what normal teenagers would, and with Kevin given the title as official chaperone, they were excited to send their boys off into the big unknown (provided that, of course, the Big Man was following a car or two behind).

And that led Nick to where he was now, stuck in a hot and sticky car with four hormonal teenagers. That's right, Nick wasn't ignorant. The constant bickering of Stella and Joe drifted (more like blasted) from the front seats, and the youngest band member felt awkwardly in the way, catching a few of the glances thrown between his older brother and their number one fangirl. Cursing himself for somehow ending up with the middle seat, he sure hoped that Kevin's dreamy gazes were meant for Macy, whose breathing seemed irregular, at best.

Nick turned slightly in his seat (as if it could even be called that) so that he could see her fully. She was leaning (more like pushed up) against the car door, her leg jerking every time it brushed against his own. Her eyes were trained on the oldest Lucas, her gaze wavering slightly when she realized Nick was watching her, and she squeaked, looking away suddenly. A moment later, she looked back up at Nick, smiling sheepishly. He laughed, looking back at Kevin, who now had his nose buried (literately) in a magazine (that was upside down. Classic Kevin. Always so smooth).

"I thought you couldn't read in the car, Kevin." Nick broke the silence, causing his older brother to look up suddenly, a blush spreading quickly. "You always said you got nauseous."

Kevin's eyes narrowed at Nick's amused expression, and he rolled the magazine, bringing it down on his younger brother's knee with a sharp, resounding _smack_. "Oops. Slipped."

Nick shot backwards, pulling as far away from Kevin as his seatbelt would allow. "Jeez, dude," he exclaimed, an amused expression playing across his features. "I'm just being a good brother. Don't want you to get carsick or something." His teasing only brought out a harsher glare, but Kevin's angry expression dissipated as his eyes focused on something directly behind Nick.

It was then that Nick realized that he was leaning back against one Macy Misa (who was most definitely not breathing). He jumped forward, reaching towards her and grasping her shoulder. "Macy? Macy, breathe!"

At the sound of Nick's sudden exclamation, Stella jerked around in the driver's seat. "Mace! And we're only half an hour in. Damnit. Macy, relax!" The car swerved slowly, making its way across the dashed white lines and eliciting a yell from Joe. "Stella!" he cried out, both hands shooting spastically to grasp the rotating wheel.

Stella flipped back to focus on the road, her knuckles white against the dark leather of the steering wheel, and the car went eerily silent. Slowly, Nick shifted to sneak a glance at Macy, bent at the waist with her head between her knees. "You okay there?"

"Mhm!" she squeaked in reply. "Just… calming down." The pitch of her voice slowly came down, and she picked her head up, her lips forming an embarrassed smile.

"Are you sure you're okay, Mace?" Nick felt himself be shoved against the back of the car seat as Kevin (again, always so smooth) leaned towards the recovering girl, worried etched across his features.

Macy let out a giggle, and nodded. Nick suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, and instead smiled warmly at the brunette. Or tried to. Smiling during this road trip had already proven to be next to impossible. As the two on either side of him continued a hushed conversation, Nick leaned forwards, elbows on his knees, eager to not get caught up in this (admittedly cute) dancing around the obvious. As much as Nick liked both of them, neither Macy nor Kevin were good at admitted to the obvious. Nick, on the other hand, would have been quick to pair the two up and skip all the awkward flirting. However, it wasn't up to him, so he settled for second best: simply avoiding the situation all together. As best he could, anyways.

He let his focus drift to the horizon through the windshield, the trees seeming to speed right at the little car before passing it on either side. His mind was just about gone, zoning out to escape the torture (though admittedly not quite as bad as he had expected) of the car ride when Joe and Stella's conversation, their words crossing right about the younger middle Lucas's head, caught his attention.

"Are you sure you're okay to drive, Stell? You seem a little shook up. I can take over if you want."

"What?" (She definitely snapped.) "You think I can't handle a long drive?"

"Stella, that's not what I said!" (It's what he meant, though.) "I just… I want to make sure you're comfortable, or… stuff."

"Smooth, Joseph." (Almost as smooth as Kevin.) "But yeah, I'm okay. Thanks, I guess…"

"Mhm." Silence. "We should do something once we get to Florida." (Oh so smooth.)

"Such as?" (Oh Stella. Always the skeptic.)

"Like…"

Nick sat up slightly, and stuck his head between the two teenagers. "Jeez, guys, this is getting ridiculous. Joe, grow a pair. Stella, you're smart. Don't pretend to be so oblivious. Don't give me that look. Eyes on the road." Stella turned to face forward yet again, her cheeks tinged with pink, and Nick rolled his eyes at Joe, his older brother's mouth hanging open. "Be careful, your face will stay that way. Think of all the fans we'd lose." He tapped Joe's chin, who promptly shut his mouth, before leaning back contentedly. He went to place his hands behind his head, his elbows out to either side, when he realized he was still in this god forsaken car. Macy and Kevin were now talking animatedly, yet still avoiding the common goal, and Joe and Stella were back to bickering (albeit with more interested glances, and subtle innuendo). Everything was the same as it had been fifteen minutes ago, yet, really, everything was totally different.

Nick was still dead set against enjoying this part of the trip, but the past few exchanges had provided enough amusement to carry him over at least another hour. If playing with the emotions of his smitten best friends could provide this kind of entertainment and still end in a content result (preferably some pairing up, it's been damn near long enough), he was all for it. Screw the license plate game, this was the new way to pass time on long car rides.

Feeling a sudden vibration in his pants pocket, he pulled out his phone and opened up the text from Frankie. _U dead yt?_ Short and simple, not surprising from the Tankster. Nick chuckled inwardly, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he formed a response. _surprisingly, not so much. i'm working on two new couples as we speak though. i'll keep you updated kid._

Nick let out a content sigh and allowed himself to fully relax against the leather seat. Maybe (JUST maybe) this road trip wouldn't be the worst time of his life (maybe it'd just hit the top five). With that thought, Nick allowed himself to crack the first smile of the trip (and admit that it was probably a good thing that he pinky promised Stella. After all, Florida is full of gorgeous beaches and girls).

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**I'd like to thank Radio Disney for getting me through this, and somehow finding a way to stream it's NorCal station over the internet to a small New England town. hahaha. it;s the only way I can hear my Honor Society and Allstar on the radio... hahaha. I'm such a Disney kid it's ridic.**

**Honestly, I'm kinda annoyed now, looking back and seeing how short this is. It was so good in my head. It should have been longer! Oh well. Despite it's length, I hope it didn't disappoint :)  
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**Well, I hope you enjoyed! I almost quit for the night, but I decided to stick with it and keep going, even though it took me into one in the morning. I have to be up in four and a half hours to catch a flight. YAY. That's dedication for ya. Prove to me it's worth it with some reviews ;)**

**Love you guys!  
**


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